FWC Snook & ISMP Survey

A couple of emails that have been circulating from the FWC are copied to you below, we realize some of you may already be on the FWC mailing list but just in case y'all have not seen or received these, here they are for you to review.

For those of you who have not had a chance to complete this survey, please take a moment and help the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) better understand the possible economic impacts that may result from a rule change (68A-27.003 F.A.C.) proposed by the draft Imperiled Species Management Plan (ISMP).

Please complete the survey using the link below by Friday, Jan 29th. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey is completely anonymous and conducted by Environmental Economics Inc. No survey data will be shared with FWC. The link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ISMP_Survey_of_Economic_Impacts

If you have any questions related to the survey please contact Michael Thomas This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you for your assistance in this effort.

If you have already completed this survey, THANK YOU and this email is not directed to you.

The recreational harvest season for snook reopens on Feb. 1 in Florida’s Atlantic coastal and inland waters (from the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line north), including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River. The season will remain open through May 31.

In the Atlantic, anglers may keep one snook per day that is not less than 28 or more than 32 inches total length, which is measured from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed while the fish is lying on its side. A snook permit is required to keep snook, along with a saltwater fishing license, unless the angler is exempt from the license requirements. Only hook-and-line gear is allowed when targeting or harvesting snook.

It is illegal to buy or sell snook.

Snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. As a result, the FWC encourages anglers to use moderation when determining whether or not to take a snook home, even during the open season.

Researchers ask anglers who harvest the fish to save their filleted carcasses and provide them to the FWC by dropping them off at a participating bait and tackle store. This program allows anglers to participate in the collection of data such as the size, age, maturity and sex of Florida's premier inshore game fish, snook.For a county-by-county list, go to MyFWC.com/Research and click on “Saltwater,” “Snook,” and “Snook Anglers Asked to Help with Research.”

The harvest of snook in all of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico state waters, including Everglades National Park and all of Monroe County, remains closed until March 1. Snook harvested from the open waters of the Atlantic may not be transported through closed water or landed in the closed area. Anglers may catch and release snook during the closed season, but the FWC encourages anglers to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release. Proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about fish handling, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Fish Handling.”